A Briton has revealed how he fended off a great white shark attack by kicking the apex predator. Chris Murray said the shark attacked him twice as he took part in a swimming challenge off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

The 54-year-old from Bolton in Greater Manchester said the shark tore a piece of flesh off his hand, before then going for his foot. The solicitor managed to escape the terrifying ordeal after climbing aboard a nearby support vessel, with the shark looking to attack again. He said: “I remember shouting ‘ow’ because it hurt, and then I remember a bit of a wrestle with it and [the support crew] must have thought, oh, he’s just having a bit of a moan about a jellyfish sting, or something.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Murray said the shark then returned and “clamped on my foot, so then it was like a bit of a tug and the only thing I could think of was to kick it with my other foot”.

He said the shark then moved away and when crew on the nearby boat shone a light to check on where he was, it could be seen “coming back for its dessert”.

Mr Murray then scrambled onto the support boat, before being taken ashore and then on to hospital.

He suffered severe lacerations to both his foot and hand which were treated with stitches and medical glue.

The father-of-two’s participation in the 20-mile endurance swim was also abandoned.

The attack happened in darkness in the Catalina Channel during the early hours of September 30.

Mr Murray told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t see it as being nearly killed. I just think it just had a bit of a nibble on my foot and my hand.”

He said the incident had not put him off open water swimming, adding: The odds of it happening are very small. I think one in 11 million.”

It is thought the shark was a juvenile great white, around 4 feet (1.2 metres) in length.

They can grow up to 21 feet (6.4 metres) long and weigh up to 4,500 pounds (2,041 kilogrammes).

Great white sharks can be found in most oceans across the world but usually in temperate and tropical coastal waters.

They can travel at speeds of around 35 miles per hour and attacks on humans are rare.